Kannada Rakshana Vedike upset over SC decision on Cauvery River water dispute

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Last Updated: Fri, Dec 07, 2012 14:30 hrs

Activists of the hardline pro-Kannadiga outfit, Kannada Rakshana Vedike staged a protest rally in Mysore against the Supreme Court's directive to the Karnataka Government to share the waters of the River Cauvery with neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Sharing the water of River Cauvery has been a bone of contention between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for over three decades.

Earlier this year, the apex Court upheld the directive by the Cauvery River Authority (CRA), to the Karnataka government to release 9,000 cusecs water of River Cauvery from Krishnaraja Sagara Reservoir (KRS) to Tamil Nadu.

D Sundar, a functionary of the Kannada Rakshana Vedike, said: "In fact, it is for both the Chief Ministers (of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) to sit and have thorough parleys on the issue. Of course, Jayalalithaa (of Tamil Nadu) came to Bangalore and discussed with her counterpart but the talks remained inconclusive since she was adamant, unaware of the problems faced by Karnataka."

Upset over the Supreme Court's verdict, the activists also said that interest of the local people has been ignored.

"But today, we the people of Karnataka are very much upset over the Supreme Court's directive to release 10,000 cusecs of water daily for Tamil Nadu. No doubt, we ought to respect the Supreme Court's order but the sad part is that it has been arbitrary and the sufferers are the general public in Karnataka and the farmers in particular. We are ashamed that Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar (of Karnataka) who initially said that not even a drop would be shared with Tamil Nadu, clandestinely released water during the twilight hours. You should go there (Krishnaraja Sagara Dam from where the waters of River Cauvery was released) and see for yourself how it has been turned into a fortress with strong deployment of police. This is not done; local interests have been ignored," added Sundar.

However, the police acted sternly and rounded up the protestors from the spot.

Commenting on these developments, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, said: "Karnataka is suffering not from today, it is suffering from last 120 years. We have been put to such harassment. We are unable to take even a single crop that to dry-cum-wet and only 8 to 10 lakh acres wet and all other areas are dry-cum-wet. This is the situation. Whereas Tamil Nadu is taking three crops and they don't want to sympathise with the Karnataka people. Unfortunately, even at the national level, there was such an adverse propaganda in this Karnataka."

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Government submitted a petition to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, requesting him to grant a stay on the decision of Cauvery River Authority (CRA) that ordered sharing of waters with Tamil Nadu.